As part of the Streets4People initiative, the KSCDL on November 7, 2020, transformed the Old NST Parking spot into an open street space for pedestrians, street vendors and shoppers to sit and relax, along with other interventions. (Morung File Photo)
Among top 10 cities in two MoHUA challenges
Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | January 18
Despite the challenge of being a hilly city coupled with the lack of available space, Kohima has emerged as one of the top 10 cities in India for its infant, toddler, caregiver-friendly interventions under the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge, and the Streets4People Challenge.
The two challenges are initiatives of the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF) and technical partner World Resources Institute (WRI) India.
Niepukhrie Tepa, Nodal Officer for Nurturing Neighbourhoods & Urban Planner, Kohima Smart City Development Limited (KSCDL) told The Morung Express that “MoHUA launched this initiative basically to develop cities through the lens of toddlers, infants and caregivers.” He said cities took up some pilot interventions and projects with the idea to try them at a smaller scale; and if the interventions which are largely temporary or semi temporary in nature are working, convert them into more permanent structures.
KSCDL selected 5 pilot projects in collaboration with departments which are already working for the welfare of the children such as the Social Welfare Department, Highland Park, Anganwadi and small parks, he highlighted.
With the availability of some space at the Government Middle School in Forest Colony, he said, “we were able to develop some parks.” The front and backyard spaces were converted into multi-purpose play spaces that can be used by students as well as toddlers of the neighbourhood, post school hours.
With a high footfall of infants and toddlers due to the presence of early childhood services and play schools, the KSCDL also transformed a roadside dumping space in Forest Colony into a pocket park with a sand pit, rope-climbing play space and children’s library.
In New Reserve Colony, a waste space next to the MT Garage Anganwadi was revamped into a demarcated toddler play space and nutria-garden with seating for caregivers, while the adjacent bus stop was reimagined as a child-friendly waiting space.
The final pilot was taken up in Highland Park, where a breastfeeding cubicle, bio-toilets, and rainwater harvesting set-up were installed for park visitors, according to a press release. Over the next two years, Kohima and the other winners will be supported to scale up infant, toddler, caregiver-friendly neighbourhood interventions across the city, the release stated.
In addition to physical projects in public spaces, the cities will identify and pursue policy, administrative, and institutional changes needed to incorporate the early-childhood lens in their approach to urban planning and development.
It may also be noted that the pilot projects were formulated and implemented by the KSCDL the aim to improve safety, accessibility and inclusivity on existing streets and neighbourhoods and provide play opportunities for infants and toddlers in public domain.
The press statement also carried comments from the then KSCDL Joint CEO Avelü Ruho who said that, “the challenge has given so much insight into the importance of inclusivity in urban planning for early childhood growth and caregiver wellbeing.” Stating that engaging with the community and carving out space in the neighbourhoods has been a fulfilling experience, the formed Jt CEO also said that the Forest Colony interventions utilise concepts that can be emulated in all wards of the city and create a trend in urban planning for sites with hilly terrain where space is limited. The testimonials by the children and care-givers are proof that we are moving in the right direction, she added.
Niepukhrie Tepa remarked that “Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge has given new insight to the traditional planning practice as it offers a holistic approach to urban planning. Efforts were given to make all concepts into reality by engaging local communities and vendors. The impact of the pilot projects will leave a lasting impression on Kohima City.”
“For the next two years, it’s not only about creating infrastructure, parks or child-friendly streets but also policy aspect or any other aspect relevant to make our city more child-friendly and child-oriented. We will be working on that with the technical assistance from the Ministry,” he further put across.
Mention may be made here that the challenge was launched in November 2020 and the other winning cities as announced by Manoj Joshi, Secretary, MoHUA, also include Bengaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Indore, Jabalpur, Kakinada, Kochi, Rourkela, Vadodara, and Warangal.
A paradigm shift in urban planning
Kohima is also among the top 11 cities in India under Streets4People (S4P) Challenge which was focused on creation of inclusive people-friendly streets. While the call was made for all the 100 smart cities across the country, opportunity was also given to any other interested cities and a total of 113 cities participated in the challenge.
Speaking to The Morung Express, Kezhochole Rhetso, Nodal Officer for S4P, KSCDL said the challenge was in line with the health of the city amidst the pandemic with everybody made to maintain SOPs.
Highlighting that the pilot location for the challenge was identified from New NST Area to Razhu Point, she said, this stretch has the maximum footfall in the city and is one of the major roads that passes through the spine of the city besides the presence of institutions, government offices, banking and postal activities, and churches.
She pointed out that there has been a paradigm shift in urban planning where it was normally focused on the future population of cars, “but the shift is that we are now to target the walking population because walking is the only non-environment pollutant means of transportation.” Towards this end, she also called for the need to encourage walking and in order to do that, she emphasized on the “need to provide free accessibility and also space for children, for the disabled, for old people and also when we walk, we build our immune system.”
Accordingly, KSCDL organised multiple activities and recreated the street near NST area into a sensible people-friendly space where business can also be conducted.
With Nagas being very creative, she added that Kohima is also like a model city at the Ministry and is being appreciated for the activities undertaken. “We were happy that we are amongst the top. This is not the end of the journey. The Ministry will be sending some experts to our city and we will be implementing more projects,” she added.
